President Donald Trump has announced that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The president made the shock announcement on Truth Social on Monday morning, saying she would begin treatment immediately.
“Susie Wiles is an incredible Chief of Staff, a great person, and one of the strongest people I know but, unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, and has decided to take on this challenge, IMMEDIATELY, as opposed to waiting,” he wrote.
“She has a fantastic medical team, and her prognosis is excellent! During the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full time at the White House, which makes me, as President, very happy!
“Her Strength and her Commitment to continue doing the job she loves, and does so well, while undergoing treatment, tells you everything you need to know about her. Susie, as one of my closest and most important advisors, is tough and deeply committed to serving the American People. She will soon be better than ever!”
Trump posted his announcement moments before he fronted a Kennedy Center Board meeting at the White House.
Wiles—who he affectionately refers to as “Ice Maiden”—was seated next to him, looking down to read her phone occasionally as Trump gave meandering remarks about the Iran war, the Kennedy Center renovations and his White House ballroom project.
In a statement to the New York Times, Wiles, 68, said she told the president of her diagnosis last week.
She said the disease was caught in its early stages, and she will soon begin a course of treatment that will last several weeks in the Washington area.
“Nearly one in eight women in the United States will face this diagnosis,” she told the Times.
“Every day, these women continue to raise their families, go to work and serve their communities with strength and determination. I now join their ranks.”
Long viewed as one of the architects behind Trump’s 2024 campaign revival and now a central force inside the West Wing, Wiles has spent years cultivating a reputation as a disciplined, discreet operative.
She is someone who not only advises Trump but also tries to keep him focused and filters out the noise for him.
The former Florida lobbyist is regularly at the president’s side and was front and center when he gave the green light to strike Iran late last month.
But her diagnosis comes at a critical juncture for the White House, which has come under fire over its handling of the war, the Epstein files, and cost-of-living pressures.
Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, is also pregnant with her second child, who is due in May.
Speaking at the Kennedy Center meeting on Monday, Trump made a fleeting reference to Wiles’ diagnosis, describing her as an “amazing fighter” dealing with a “minor difficulty”.
“I said do it immediately,” he said of her treatment, “because with that particular ailment, the faster the better.”
